Summary
On November 12, news broke that Simon Kinberg would helm the next trilogy in theStar Warsuniverse. It is, at the time of writing, unknown whether Kinberg will be continuing the Skywalker storyline or starting fresh with a new cast of characters. But if Disney wants to establishStar Warsas a truly timeless franchise, it should consider the Skywalker Saga a closed chapter.
To be clear, this doesn’t just refer to characters in the Skywalker lineage. It’s a larger issue that stems from the same ground being retread over and over again: the Empire/First Order, Rebels/Resistance, the Death Star(s), Palpatine, Clone Wars, etc. For example: since Disney’s purchase of the galaxy far, far away, there have been 18Star Warsmovies and series, 14 of which take placebetweenThe Phantom MenaceandThe Rise of Skywalker.With limitless story potential, it’s about time things moved on from this one period in the galaxy’s history.
How Simon Kinberg Could Shake Up Star Wars
Simon Kinberg has a storied entertainment career, having written hits such asMr. & Mrs. Smith,Sherlock Holmes, andX-Men: Days of Future Past.But when considering the possibilities for a new trilogy, his most exciting credit isStar Wars: Rebels. The series was the first project to be released after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and terminated many of its existing projects, looking to take the franchise in a new direction.Rebelsis somewhat of aspiritual successor toThe Clone Wars(which Disney canceled in its fifth season), with Dave Filoni at the core of both.
Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Carrie Beck (the third co-creator) had their work cut out for them, as the world’s introduction to the Disney era ofStar Wars. The sequel trilogy ofThe Force Awakens, The Last Jedi,andThe Rise of Skywalkersparked debates about excessive nostalgia,the lack of a cohesive vision, pandering to audiences, and countless more Reddit thread-inducing topics. On the other hand,Rebelsquietly laid out an excellent blueprint for a possibleStar Warsfuture.
Rebelsintroduced and focused on ideas that felt undeniably likeStar Wars,while still heading in a new direction. A great example is the show’s establishment of animals as Force-sensitive creatures. OtherStar Warsmedia had touched on the idea before, butRebelsfleshed it out, showingEzra connecting with creatureslike fyrnocks, purrgils, and Loth-cats. While Jedi had been shown taming creatures with the Force before, Ezra was one of the first to demonstrate a genuine connection with animals, such as with the noti inAhsoka. And after introducing the Loth-wolves,Rebelsdemonstrated that creatures could be Force-sensitive in their own unique ways.
Along with new characters like The Bendu, the show also introduced many elements that have come to be staples of modernStar Wars. For example, the two-part pilot marked the first time audiences saw Inquisitors, and the very first mention of Beskar was inRebels. Even the concept of time travel, which at first seemed foreign to the world ofStar Wars, was gracefully introduced in"A World Between Worlds.“Now, it’s the reason Ahsoka Tano still lives.
All of this is to say thatRebelsdid not shy away from blazing new trails in the canon. It’s true that this doesn’t always pan out — consider, for example howThe Book of Boba Fett’smoped gang landed with audiences. ButRebelshas an incredible track record, and Simon Kinberg played a huge role in its success. It’s a great sign for the franchise to have someone at the helm of a new trilogy who is willing to step outside expectations and still deliver content that appears to core fans. If Disney allows Kinberg to tell stories in the distant past, the far future, or simply anywhere other than Tatooine,Star Warscould recapture that feeling of a whole universe ready to be explored.
Star Wars Is More Than One Bloodline, One Empire, & One Rebellion
Star Warsshould be viewed as a genre, not a story.It may have begun as a single story, but its enduring popularity has turned it into something so much greater. And after all this time, fans have a vocabulary and expectations for whatStar Warsshould feel like in the same way they do for a horror, rom-com, or action movie.
For example, that moped gang fromThe Book of Boba Fett? Fans decided: notStar Wars. Mace Windu’s dual lightsaber? DecidedlyStar Wars. These definitions of what does and doesn’t belong in the galaxy far, far away are ones that Disney should be flexible with rather than try to shape. Just look at the prequels. There is a significant divide between fans of older and younger generations on whetherelements of Episodes I-III constitute goodStar Wars. And the next generation may argue in favor of aspects of the franchise that are derided today, in the same way genres of any medium evolve over the years.
Shows likeRebelsorAndormay have been commissioned by Disney to take place in a familiar time period, but these shows' creators have made the smart choice to treatStar Warsas a visual language and a set of guidelines rather than a recipe to recreate. Palpatine doesn’t need to somehow return; viewers don’t need to see what Obi-Wan is up to anymore. Anakin’s story has already been told, and the last traces ofthe Empire and the First Orderhave been forever squashed.
Even if Disney were to balk at the idea of all-new stories,fans would be eager to see theKnights of the Old Republiconscreen. There’s the reign of Tenebrae, and the many ideas presented inStar Wars: Visions.Disney could delve into any of the 68 novels deemed non-canonicalStar Wars Legends. After all, if Thrawn can cross into canon status (inRebels, no less), other characters and events can too. There’s a massive universe of creative storytellers that have been inspired byStar Wars, and by far more than what is presented in Episodes I-IX. Fingers crossed that Simon Kinberg is able to explore it.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
